From celebrities to consumers, perfume “gatekeeping” becomes a trend

This article was originally published in the Cosmetics Business Fragrance Trend Report. Get your copy here.

Celebrities and influencers alike are doing it, and there are tons of posts on TikTok stating why others should do it too.

“Gatekeeping” fragrance – keeping your signature scent secret to prevent others from copying it – is a trend that’s gaining momentum.

On TikTok, the phrase “gatekeeping my perfume” has been played more than 24.1 million times, with content creators sharing tips on everything from which perfumes are “worth gatekeeping” to what to say to people when you don’t want to reveal your signature scent.

But why are signature fragrance secrets a trend?

Roz Wicks, fragrance trend forecaster and founder of marketing firm TrendAroma, puts this down to the fact that we are entering a new “mass niche” era, where niche scents are more accessible than ever before, thanks to social media, particularly #PerfumeTok (5.2 billion views), fragrance influencers and the rise of scent sampling services.

“Because so many people use scent to express themselves, to create a particular identity they want to distinguish themselves from, that special scent (now often created by layering scents) can become a closely guarded secret, even from family and friends.”

• Companies:

• The Estée Lauder Companies

• CPL Aroma

• Ormond Jane

• Kilian

• Kylie Cosmetics

• Trend Aroma Marketing

• Bytedance

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